Rectifier



July 25, 1933. RUPP 1,1,988

RECTIFIER Filed Jan. 31, 1950 fH/fl for Emil Rap v Patented July 25,1933 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EMIL RUPP, OF BERLIN-FROHNAU,GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORKRECTIFIER Application filed January 31, 1930, Serial No. 424,997, and inGermany February 8, 1929.

My invention relates to rectifiers and more particularly to dryrectifiers comprising layers of metals, such as copper, iron, manga noseor the like, and metal-compounds, such as copper oxide, lead sulfide orthe like contacting with each other.

It is an object of my invention to provide a dry rectifier of the kindaforesaid in which the electrical resistance of the contact surfaces ofthe layers and the resistance of the metal compound layer is very small.

It is a further object of my invention to provide means whereby dryrectifiers with small resistances of the contact surfaces of the metalcompound layers and the metal layers and of the metal compound layer maybe roduced. p

t is still another object of my invention to produce layers of metal orof metal compound by depositing the metal or the metal compound from thevapor state in a high vacuum on a base or carrier, such as a metal plateor a metal layer deposited in the same manner. By this method a verythin layer of a metal composition may be deposited on a metal, so thatthe contact resistance and the resistance of the layer are very small.

In the drawing afiixed to this specification and forming part thereof arectifier embodying m invention is illustrated diagrammatically by wayof example at a greatly exaggerated scale. a

1 is a support, for instance a metal plate consisting in the preferredform of my invention of copper. 2 is a layer of metal, for instance-alsocopper. 3 is a layer of a metal compound, such as, for instance, copperoxide or lead sulfide orthe like, and 4 is a layer of some other metal,such as iron or 4 manganese. The layer 2 is arranged on the copper plate1 by depositing the metal (copper) from copper vapor in a high vacuum.The layer 3 is arranged on the layer 2 in a similar manner by depositingthe metal compound, (copper oxide or lead sulfide) from the vapor statein a high vacuum. The layer 4 conslsting of iron, manganese or the likeis deposited upon the layer 3 in the same manner. Upon the layer 4 alayer 12 of the same metal as layer 2 1s deposited and so on.

The layers 13, 14, 22, 23, 24, 32, 33 and 34 are deposited in the samemanner. The rate of depositing may be controlled so that the thicknessof the layers may be made very small. The thickness of each of thelayers 3, 13, 23, and 33 is preferably about 0.001 nuns, and thethickness of the metal layers 2, 4, 12, 14, 22, 24 and 32 about 0.01mms. The metal from which the uppermost layer 34 is made is depositedupon the layer 33 to a thickness of about 0.1 mm, so that a wire 5 orthe like may be fixed to it.

In this manner a rectifier column comprising a large number of layers isobtained. which is particularly adapted for the rectification of highalternating voltages.

In some cases a single layer of each kind will be suflicient, so thatthe rectifying device then comprises merely the layers 2, 3, 4.

If the support 1' consists of the same metal as the layers 2, 12, 22,and 32, the layer 3 may be deposited directly on the support 1.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to theexact details of construction shown and described, for 'obviousmodifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. i

In the claims affixed to this specification no selection of anyparticular modification of the invention is intended to the exclusion 8of other modifications thereof and the right to subsequently make claimto any modification not covered by these claims is expressly reserved.

I claim 1. A dry rectifier comprisin a plurality of superposed layers,said plura ity of layers including two layers, one of said two layersbeing a layer of a metal compound and the other being a layer of metal,each succeeding layer of said two layers being deposited onthe-preceding layer in vacuo from the vapor state.

2. A dry rectifier comprising a metal layer, a second metal layer ofanother metal and a layer consisting of a metal compound arrangedbetween said" metal layers, said metal compound layer and said secondmet- :11 layer being deposited from the vapor state in vacuo.

10 layer of copper oxide arranged between said copper and manganeselayers, the copper oxide layer being deposited on said copper layer andthe manganese layer on said per oxide layer from the vapor state 1n l5vacuo. 5. In-the method of producinga dry rectifier composed of a layerof a metal comof depositing pound and a layer of a metal the step ofdepositing said layer. of a metal compound from the vapor state invacuoand the step said layer of metal from the vapor state m vacuo.

6. A dry rectifier comprising a copper metal layer, a layer. composed ofanother metali and a layer composed of a metal comarranged between saidcopper metal I oun lllyer and'sald layer com sed of another metal saidlayer com oseri poun being eposite on said copper layer and said layercomposed of another metal on said layer composed of a metal compoundfrom the vapor state in vacuo.

EMIL RUPP.

of a metal com-

